XI International Brigade

The XI International Brigade fought for the Spanish Second Republic in the Spanish Civil War.

It would become especially renowned for providing desperately needed support in the darkest hours of the Republican defense of Madrid on 8 November 1936, when, with great losses, it helped repulse a major assault by veteran Nationalist troops, buying time for more Republican troops to be brought into the city. - Colodny, Robert G. Accessed 2008-05-12.

Order of battle

It was originally mustered from international volunteers at Albacete, Spain, in mid-October 1936 as the IX Brigada Movíl, with four battalions:

• Franco-Belgian Battalion (14 Oct 1936)
• Austro-German Battalion (14 Oct 1936)
• Italo-Spanish Battalion (14 Oct 1936)
• Polish-Balkan Battalion (17 Oct 1936)

On 22 Oct 1936, it was redesignated the XI "Hans Beimler" International Brigade on 22 Oct 1936, with General "Kléber" (Manfred Stern) commandingBeevor (2006) p. 167. The original battalions were renamed as follows:

• The Franco-Belgian battalion became the Commune de Paris Battalion
• The Austro-German battalion became the Edgar André Battalion, (after Edgar André).
• The Italo-Spanish battalion became the Garibaldi Battalion, (after Giuseppe Garibaldi).
• The Polish-Balkan battalion became the Dabrowski Battalion (pronounced "Dombrowski"), (after Jarosław Dąbrowski).

Shortly after the formation of XII International Brigade...
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